Tips on wood carving:

It may seem foolish to say that everything starts with a thought, but it's true. When you have an idea... usually the first response is to put it into action. Some ideas are a success at birth and some simply just don't go anywhere. But the beauty of life is that we are designed to think for ourselves and enjoy the freedom to be artistic. Fortunately... There are some things in life that our forefathers have routed out for us to follow if we so choose. One of many ideas is that of carving wood. Some techniques have been proven to work, even to this day. There have been and always will be many approaches as to the " how to" of wood carving.We will discuss a few of them.

Wood carving can be labeled under types:

Chip Carving: Relief Carving: Chainsaw Carving: Power Tool Carving: Whittling... ect:

Chip Carving can be done with several types of hand tools and power tools. Hand chisels, bowl-gouges, hand-adze, hatchet, draw-knife, and power-tools such as: side-grinder with cutter wheel attachments (cutz-all, Sir Lancelot cutter, Arbor-tech, and even Log wizard) Chip-Carving leaves an " overall average " roughed surface on the piece being carved.

A lot of old fireplace mantles had this type of surface on them. They had the overall appearance of being flat, but in reality they were filled with hand carved " divets" on their surface. Which, in fact, is what makes them more prized in today's market! Simply because... people realize all the hand work that it took to make one. We have so many options to modern technology now that it makes the wood carving more diverse in it's appearance.

Relief Carving can be described as ... bringing an image out of a flat piece of wood stock. It is relieving the excess material around the image to be carved to give a " raised" look from the stock.I have found that hand carving chisels are great for relief carving. For someone just beginning to experiment with wood carving (regardless of the type) should be reasonable in the search for the proper tools. If you go cheap... you may very well become immediately discouraged because of poor quality steel in a cheap tool! Some steel won't hold an edge at all and some won't hold an edge very long. So be mindful of chisel steel and wood working steel an their qualities.

This knowledge will help you tremendously in your selection for tools. I don't advise that you go out and spend big money on high quality steel to begin with. If your budget will allow you to do so then you would be better off to buy top quality products! When I started out wood carving I only had a wore-out chainsaw and an old wood chisel, and neither of them was worth throwing in the trash! But I had a lot of determination and really wanted to try to carve that I didn't let that discourage me. I knew they were both wore out and I understood the limitations I would encounter during the process.

I just kept in my mind that I would be able to afford better tools for the job later. And now I've seen the tools that work for me, and have purchased them, as they became affordable and needed. Chainsaw Carving is a great way to carve wood. And let me advise you up front ... if you don't have much chainsaw experience ... I don't recommend that you go purchase one and go to work with it!

A chainsaw is one of the greatest tools ever invented, but it can cause some really nasty wounds as well! I've known many people (including myself) that have had some serious cuts from a chainsaw. Personally... I've been cut with mine 4 times! And I've been using a chainsaw since I was about 9 years old. I remember carving one piece and a large chunk of wood flew out and hit me in the eye, and I couldn't see for about 2 days. So needless to say... I use safety goggles! Try and gain some experience with a chainsaw with someone around who has used one and knows the dangers therein! At the same time I don't want to discourage you from trying ... just use common sense.

There are many different saws out on the market. Talk to any logger or firewood vendor and they will probably swear by only one brand. They can tell you through experience the best brand on the market. And I can tell you they will give you good advice. But... starting out, you don't have to purchase a high priced saw, to learn to be comfortable with using one. There are many different bars and chains available. Some bars are designed for wood carving while attachments can be mounted on the bar for surface smoothing and carving.

Some of these bars are about the size of a dime at the tip of the bar for finer detail carving. I personally start all my wood carvings with the chainsaw. This allows for faster removal of rough material. Let’s talk wood species: I've learned that all wood is not the same. When I first started carving, I just grabbed up the first piece of wood I found. I can tell you that I was just lucky in my selection because it was cypress. It was a softer wood and light. But as I gained more knowledge... I went to different wood species to see which was best for the cause.

Most wood carvers have a favorite. Many wood carvers prefer Bass wood or Linden. And the properties of Bass wood make it easier to carve and manipulate to shape. It is for the most part crack-free. You have to be mindful that wood will crack. Some woods will more than others do. Black Walnut is a great wood to work with; it is somewhat denser than lighter woods. Hard wood can be red oak, black walnut, sweet gum, black gum, Osage orange, ect.

My wood of choice is Eastern Red Cedar. This is a great wood to carve. It is soft and light. Of course red cedar is very abrasive, and it is more work to keep your steels sharp. And it doesn't crack as bad as some woods I've tried in the past. But I suggest that you find the wood that bests suits you and your project.

It is very difficult to say " this way will work better" or " that way won't work at all".Wood carving is like human individuality... you have to find your own style.Trying to copy someone's work can be stressful to the mind and soul! Do what you love and love what you do. Because, after all, the artistry of wood carving is bringing a part of yourself out and allowing the world to enjoy what they are seeing. People will see a lie right off the bat. They know truth when they see it. So to remain truthful in content will not only make you a better wood carver, but it will manifest itself when the public see's your work.

Back again to some how to's: You need to understand that I'm giving suggestions based upon my own experiences with wood carving. Always be open minded to learn as much as possible about your skill. A wise person, be they a man or woman, is not fearful of change! Change is good, but once you've established your own style of wood carving, it is not always a good idea to change. I had the blessed advantage of having a" wise owl" tell me... "son, be truthful in your artwork"! "Because people need to see truth and be able to believe in you as an artist".

I couldn't quite get my mind wrapped around the whole concept at first, but it dawned on me what he was telling me.It simply boils down to one fact... and that is... to be yourself and not try to imitate another.Also, in your wood selections: In the search for material stock, be ever mindful that there are many sawmills around that would be more than glad to let you have a look at their scrap piles! Most of the time you can carve them a small token of gratitude for their accommodation. As you begin learning to carve, you'll find that there are certain techniques that work better than others.

If you carve "with the grain", you'll find you can make easier cuts. Carving " cross-grained" takes more patience and sharp steels! Now granted, you'll have to carve in all directions to produce any kind of carving at all. Just keep in mind that if you keep your steels in check and sharp, you'll make smoother cuts and make carving more enjoyable!

If you get to the point of feeling comfortable about carving large pieces... you'll need to experiment with bonding pieces of wood together. I remember carving a 7ft. Largemouth bass from a full scale cypress log! I'm very comfortable with doing very large wood carvings because I started out doing large carvings.

I had to sort of learn in reverse, and go from large to small! Let’s say that you wanted to carve a full scale grizzly bear! It's obvious that you'll need to attach the arms and legs. Even the body alone would take a huge piece of wood! I have found that epoxy mixed with very fine wood dust makes a great bond. I use the 5 minute epoxy for the simple reason that I need to bond, sand, and move on with the project. You'll just have to find what works best for you as a wood carver. On your detail work, there are many rotary tools with high rpm capacities.

You'll find many different tip attachments for them as well. Not all work for me, but I've chosen the ones that work through trial and error. Some wood carvers prefer palm chisels for all their detail work. I find myself using them from time to time. There are just endless suggestions that we could discuss... but everyone's attention-span can be tested. So I'll leave you with one more thought. If you are just beginning to court the idea of wood carving, don't just jump in head first. Because there are so many factors that can cause you to get discouraged very easily.

I don't mean not to try with enthusiasm, just try and be patient. Allow the wood to tell you which way it wants to be carved! And remember that you are in total control of your tools!

Always enjoy what you're doing!